Mackinnon directs Industrial Relations Board to mandate resumption of port operations amid stalled negotiations
Canada’s Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon announced today his decision to intervene in the port strikes affecting both Vancouver and Montreal, directing the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) to order a full resumption of operations at the ports and shift negotiations into binding arbitration.
This intervention follows a week of intensified tensions on Canada’s west coast, where a lockout at container terminals in British Columbia, including Vancouver—the country’s busiest port—has disrupted trade flows.
The British Columbia Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA) initiated the lockout last week, citing strike activity by members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Ship and Dock Foremen Local 514 in response to a “final offer” from employers.
Negotiations have since stalled, with mediated talks collapsing on Saturday. Mackinnon’s office issued a statement on Monday urging both sides to return to the table and “do the work necessary to reach an agreement.”
The statement emphasized the urgency of the situation, stressing that “Canadians are counting on them” to resolve the dispute.
